Conventionally, various puncturing devices for sampling blood and disposable lancets to use with these puncturing devices have been developed. A puncturing device using a lancet once and discarding it per puncturing operation has problems as follows. When a lancet is mounted in and removed from a puncturing device, a hand and so forth are punctured erroneously with a puncture needle exposing from one end of the lancet. In addition, it is troublesome to mount/remove lancets.
Patent Document 1 discloses a magazine type puncturing device in which a plurality of lancets are stored.
FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of a magazine type blood sampling puncturing device described in Patent Document 1.
As shown in FIG. 1, magazine type puncturing device 10 includes a plurality of puncturing members 18. The plurality of puncturing members 18 are radially arranged along groove 24 formed on the circumference of circular cartridge 12. After being set in blood sampling device 10, circular cartridge 12 rotates in the circumferential direction by pressing a charging button (not shown), so that new puncturing member 18 is held by linear actuator 56 provided with puncturing member moving and assembling member 34 and charged.
Afterward, puncturing member 18 extends by pressing a puncturing button (not shown) and punctures tissue such as skin. After puncturing, puncturing member 18 immediately parts from skin and returns into the circular cartridge. In addition, blood exuding from skin is measured and analyzed in a separate blood analysis apparatus.
When puncturing is newly performed the next time, circular cartridge 12 is rotated in the circumferential direction by operating again the charging button, so that it is possible to set new puncturing member 18.
As for this magazine type puncturing device, it is possible to replace a magazine in whole, including lancets stored inside, so that the lancets are not directly touched, and therefore, safe operations, including mounting, puncturing and discarding, are allowed.
Patent Document 1: Published Japanese Translation of PCT Application 2006-504506